A first step in early literacy, or pre-reading skills, is to begin recognizing shapes. Toddlers and preschoolers might enjoy some Halloween crafts that encourage making shapes to create pictures. While you are thinking about shapes, begin pointing out different shapes around your house, while you are driving, at the store, etc. See if your child picks up on this and starts pointing to or naming shapes. It won’t be long before he/she can recognize and name letters, too!

Here are some simple seasonal ideas:

Use a paper plate and orange marker to let your child create a pumpkin circle. Cut out triangles, squares and circles from black paper, and let your child arrange the pieces to make a face or design. Talk about the shapes as you glue them on, noticing the straight edges, corners, curves and points, and counting the sides. Help older toddlers or preschoolers cut some shapes themselves with kids’ scissors.

Check out Ed Emberley’s classic monster picture book, Go Away, Big Green Monster! There are lots of shapes and colors to point out as each page adds or takes away more parts of the monster’s face. Afterwards, cut colorful shapes from construction paper and create your own monsters together. Some children may be interested to learn names for more shapes, like crescent, oval and octagon. This also builds vocabulary and increases their awareness of shapes around them.

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care!”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”
Then oooohh went the wind
And out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

Summer is often a time of family vacations and roadtrips. If you’re roadtrips are like mine they will have a soundtrack something like this, “Are we there yet?” “He just hit me!” “I need to potty!” “No, it can’t wait!” “But I’m HUNGRY!!!” If you want to go on vacation, but not go crazy while getting there, check out our audiobook collection. We have many family favorites that will keep everyone entertained, and hopefully quiet. Well, for a little while. You know, until they need to GO five minutes past the rest stop. Hang in there, this is the stuff memories are made of!

This board book has great rhymes for anything construction! These rhymes are simple for the little ones, and are versatile with numerous action possibilities! The rhymes are also great for older children because they can make up their own extra verses and actions! Kids who love construction will definitely love this book!

We kicked off our summer storytimes with a “construction” theme! Our 6 x 6 literacy activities in the storytime room combine dinosaurs and vehicles in “Dinosaur Dig.” Does it get any better than dinosaurs driving construction vehicles? Come visit our activity stations to practice early literacy skills, and have lots of fun. You can push a construction vehicle toy or a dinosaur along the roads on the tables. Or match dinosaurs with colors, sound out dinosaur names, or construct something original with the blocks. To continue the construction fun at home, try out these rhymes with your pre-schooler.

Tool Dance (act out the motions)

I’m a little screwdriver,

Screwdriver, screwdriver,

I’m a little screwdriver,

Watch me spin!

I’m a little hammer…watch me pound!

I’m a little shovel…watch me dig!

I’m a little wrench…watch me twist!

I’m a little jackhammer…watch me jump!

This Is the Way (to Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush)

This is the way we push the dirt,

Push the dirt, push the dirt.

This is the way we push the dirt,

In the construction zone.

This is the way we dig a hole…

This is the way we dump the dirt…

This is the way we smooth the road…

This is the way we lift the beams…

This is the way we smash it down…

Johnny’s Hammers

Johnny worked with one hammer, one hammer, one hammer (pretend to swing a hammer with one hand)

Johnny worked with one hammer, but that was not enough!

Johnny worked with two hammers… (“hammer” with both hands)

Johnny worked with three hammers… (kick one foot)

Johnny worked with four hammers… (kick one foot, then the other foot)

Johnny worked with five hammers…and then the job was done! (nod your head while you keep your hands and feet swinging–it’s harder than it sounds!)

Music and movement go together naturally, and Songs for Wiggleworms is a great CD for active kids who love to move. The tunes are lively and many of them include actions. For example, in Row, Row, Row Your Boat, you will also twist, bounce and sway your boat. It doesn’t make a lot of sense but kids don’t care. The songs with actions can also be fun if you are working with your child on following instructions, but don’t be surprised if toddlers get stuck on one motion they really enjoy, like jumping, and just keep doing it for the whole song.

Putting on fun music and getting kids moving can change attitudes almost instantly. This is great trick for days when meltdowns are frequent or a child seems to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Kids are more likely to get in the dancing mood if a parent or teacher does it with them, at least to get started. Extend your music movement time by providing something fun for kids to dance with, such as a doll, string, scarf or instrument. Model different ways to move their arms and legs. Some ideas include:

waving hands high, then low

spinning

wiggling

kicking legs forward or out to the sides

swaying by bending at the waist

hopping in place

starting tall and crouching down slowly until arms are around knees, and reverse

This rhyme is great for the Holidays and can be used with practically any age group! It is such a fun rhyme that kids will be entertained in all sorts of ways! You can also get very creative with this rhyme by acting it out and letting the kids use their imaginations.

Build a Snowman

to the tune of “Oh My Darling Clementine”

Build a snowman,
Build a snowman,
Build a snowman,
Big and round.
Shape three snowballs, different sizes
Stack them tall, then spin around.

Dress the snowman,
Dress the snowman,
Dress the snowman,
Big and round.
Dress him in last winter’s clothes,
Tie his scarf so he won’t frown.

When the sun,
When the sun,
When the sun
Shines so bright,
Watch him melt and disappear
Vanishing and out of sight.

Save his clothes,
Save his clothes,
Save his clothes,
Don’t throw them out!
Soon the snow will fall again.
And you’ll see them all about.

I stumbled upon a great resource for planning storytimes around a specific theme. It’s from the King County Library System’s website (listed below). Even though this library is located in Washington state, I can still benefit from their very extensive list of themes, read-aloud suggestions, activities, and fingerplays, without actually visiting their building! Their themes include topics like the seasons, animals, fun with music, and about 100 more! Check it out: www.kcls.org/bookstogrowon/